Travel today, and in particular, airline travel, has become much more complicated for the average consumer/traveler than it has been in the past. Instances like 9/11 and other terrorist attacks have led to increases in security within our nation's and the world's airports. Understandably, travelers and security officials alike conform to the more vigorous and strenuous security rules imparted by local airports. However, many travelers today still require an additional sense of security and therefore prefer to lock their luggage before abandoning it to board the aircraft. The benefits of locking one's luggage include deterring potential theft as well as protecting the suitcase from unexpectedly opening. To meet the needs of both the airline security and the consumer, locks have been developed to allow the airline security to override the locking mechanism, which may comprise a combination lock or any other locking mechanism, with a master key, thereby granting access to and inspection of the contents of the luggage without breaking the consumer's lock. Currently, such master key operable locks comprise combination locks that include a shackle. The shackle is entwined within zipper slider loopholes of the luggage case. Such shackle locks are usually applied to softside luggage cases that have zippers, instead of latches that can be found on hard-side cases. The shackle is then inserted into the mating portion of the combination lock, which can then be locked by applying a combination known only to the traveler. The base portion of some of these locks includes a “Transportation Security Administration” (TSA) key provision for security agency access. However, currently there are no provisions for an override combination lock that can be integrated into a hardside luggage case.
There is therefore a need for a latch-type combination lock that can be used on hardside luggage cases that incorporates an override feature such that travel security agencies around the world can access the contents of a traveler's locked luggage case without breaking the traveler's lock or disturbing the traveler's personal combination. The override mechanism should allow the lock to be opened, even when the combination is still in the locked position, and re-closed and relocked after security inspection has been completed. A further need exists for a universal latch lock that can be applied in either a left or right configuration to a luggage case.